Wyrm

Contents

In the theology of the Garou the Wyrm is one of the higher Celestines. The Wyrm's purpose is the cleansing and rectification of Creation, furthering its descent into Entropy. He achieves this by eliminating that which the Wyld creates and the Weaver structures.

According to the general consensus among the Garou theologians, the Wyrm was the second member of the Triat to go insane. Once the Weaver went mad and began encasing everything in Webs, the Wyrm was progressively constrained until he was driven insane, hellbent on destroying everything. Consequently, the Wyrm is now a spirit of destruction, chaos, darkness and corruption, the essence of everything the Garou oppose. Most Tribes have their own myths that describe the Wyrm in their own specific cultural nomenclature.

As part of a resultant multiple-personality disorder on a universal scale, there are three main "heads" of the Wyrm, each representing a different part of its personality. As mentioned in the Book of the Wyrm the three heads also represent the Triat and the original balance Wyrm trying to figure out what went wrong, and as such the main three heads are called the Triatic Wyrm.

Beast-of-War, the Wyrm of Calamity, a monster of senseless rage, ready to destroy all in its path. It is said by some that frenzy and Rage are this Wyrm's blessings. This Triatic Wyrm is analogous to the Wyld's love of chaos, but here it is a chaos achieved via destructive terror.

Eater-of-Souls, the Wyrm of Consumption, paragon of the gnawing hunger of greed, lust, and gluttony. Vampires are said to be under the sway of Eater-of-Souls. Eater nearly manifested in North America, but was banished by the sacrifice of an entiretribe of Garou. This Triatic Wyrm is analogous to the Weaver's desire to unify, but the method here is unification via consumption and digestion.

Defiler Wyrm, the Wyrm of Corruption, a scheming entity of corruption and decay. Most Pentex operations are likely under the sway of the Defiler Wyrm. This Triatic Wyrm is analogous to the original Wyrm's purgative function, but here it is being restricted to only being able to eat away at the intangible from the inside.

Other Fera know different Aspects of the Wyrm: The Rokea know of Qyrl, while the Bastet speak of Cahlash and Asura. It is not known if these are separate aspects of the Wyrm in itself, or just other names that are used in cultural context. It should be noted that the Bastet can take Cahlash as a jamak in the form of the King of Cats without registrating as Wyrm-tainted.

Even its base desires are powerful enough to take on forms of their own, becoming the powerful Urge Wyrms of Hate, Lust, Fear and other dread sentiments, as well as the Elemental Wyrms who represent perversions of the classical elements. With so many heads, the Wyrm is more Hydra than serpent - and each head is all but impossible to sever.

The Wyrm counts many different creatures in its employ. Some serve knowingly, some unknowingly. But their actions all serve to bring the Apocalypse ever closer and drive the Garou ever closer to extinction. As such, all creatures who cause misery, depravity and destruction, either willingly or unwillingly, knowingly or unknowingly, are servants of the Wyrm and are considered deserving of death and damnation by the Garou.

Banes: These foul spirits of the Wyrm are, thankfully, usually confined to the spirit world. Unfortunately, some of the strongest can possess mortal hosts and use them to affect the real world. Even strong men can be overwhelmed and made the puppet of a Bane. No man or beast is safe from these spirits of pure evil and corruption. When confronted, however, Banes will frequently give up their mortal shells and burst forth in their full horrifying glory, displaying razor-sharp fangs, tentacles, hundreds of faceted eyes, or a thousand other horrors, each worse than the last.

Black Spiral Dancers: The Wyrm's greatest triumph, the Dancers are foul twisted reflections of the Garou. Just like the Garou, they consort with spirits and can gain gifts from them, except they gain their gifts from Banes. Everything the Garou do, they do in service to the Wyrm. They are fond of capturing normal Garou and torturing them until they too become Black Spiral Dancers. Most Fera have similar corrupted counterparts, but the Spiral Dancers are the most numerous among them.

Fomori: Binding a bane into a mortal host, either human or animal, creates a Fomor. However, the Banes used, less powerful than most, are more firmly bound to the flesh if their hosts, resulting in many more obvious deformities. Fomori are usually created by Pentex.

Pentex is a shadow corporation with its fingers in every pie it can think of. It taints everything it touches, all beneath a veneer of 'business as usual'. Oil spills are just a 'part of business', not part of a master plan to corrupt the world. Violent video games and movies are there just to satisfy the demands of customers, not to corrupt the hearts and minds of the young. Pharmaceuticals with soul-crushing side-effects are hailed as miracle cures. Pentex has one true purpose: to bring on the Apocalypse and then step in as the savior; to be church and corporation all in one.

The Yama Kings: The Yama Kings are a spiritual phenomenon of the Middle Kingdom. Rogue elements of the Celestial Bureaucracy, the Yama Kings seem to overlap with the Wyrm (they are certainly in a close alliance), their actual goals differ. While the "Centipede" strives to undo the Wheel of Ages, the Yama Kings want to trap it in stasis during the Sixth Age. Their methods often reek of Wyrm-taint, but the exact relation is often depending on the Yama King in question.

Vampires: The descendants of Caine are creatures of the Wyrm in that they are creatures of darkness cursed by God to feed on the blood of humans. Regardless of a vampire's Path of Enlightenment, the Garou will sense the taint of the Wyrm within any vampire they encounter, save for the most humane (Humanity 7+). Of course, a lack of Wyrm taint isn't going to give the Garou reasons to be friendly toward a leech.

Demons: The Fallen are creatures of the Wyrm in that they are creatures, condemned by God, who now hail from the Abyss.